- Date
- March 13, 2002, 20:00 local (Mar 14, 2002, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Christopher, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5111HCessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report April 15, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration, Springfield FSDO
- FAA report
- 20020313004799A
- Case key
- 54367
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The in-flight collision with a Canadian goose, which caused substantial damage to the airplane's right wing. A factor to the accident was the dark night light condition.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
While in cruise flight the airplane encountered a flock of Canada geese and impacted a goose with the right wing. The pilot reported that he immediately climbed to a higher altitude and landed without any difficulties. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
On March 13, 2002, about 2000 central standard time, a Cessna 152, N5111H, piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged when it impacted a goose while in cruise flight at 2,200 feet msl over Christopher, Illinois. Night visual metrological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight departed the Benton Municipal Airport, Benton, Illinois, at 1940.
According to the pilot's written statement, while in cruise flight the airplane encountered a flock of Canadian geese and impacted a goose with the right wing. The pilot reported after the impact he, "... turned on my landing light to find that I was surrounded by Canadian geese." The pilot stated that he immediately climbed to 3,500 feet and landed at Southern Illinois Airport, Carbondale, Illinois, without any difficulties.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5111H
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15284062
- Airframe hours
- 5,892.5
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Southern Illinois Airport Authority
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 4, 2001 · 9.3 hours before
- Departed
- H96 · Benton, IL
- Destination
- MDH · Carbondale, IL
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- November 21, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 273 total · 1 in this make and model · 134 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 160° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Observed at
- MDH
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 27, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 399 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.